Apparatus for salvaging sunken vessels



S. A. DUTTON APPARATUS FOR SALVAGING SUNKEN VESSELS March 11, 1924.

Filed Sept;

iiiiiihiiiiiiii Patented Mar. ll, 1924.

UNITED STATES STEPHEN A. DUTTON, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

APPARATUS FOR SALVAGING SUNKEN VESSEIlS.

Application filed September 16, 1921. Serial No. 501,133.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that STEPHEN A. DUTTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, has invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Salvaging Sunken Vessels, of which the following is a specification. I

This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for use in raising or salvaging sunken ships, and more particularly to that type of apparatus which may be either in stalled in the ship when it is constructed, or placed therein by a diver, when the attempt is made to raise the ship.

An object of theinvention is to provide a suitable inflatable bag, which is inserted in the space between the several compartments or staterooms or in any other available compartment in a ship when in the course of construction, and having an opening to wards the outer part of the ship, to which the diver may connect the air line to inflate the bag, and thereby push the water out of said compartment, and fill the space with buoyant air or gas. Of course, there will be a similar air bag positioned between each of the compartments or staterooms, or other available parts of the ship, and a separate nozzle or filling valve for each bag.

Another object of the invention is to provide a suitable means which may easily be installed in a ship for raising the same, should it at any time sink, and which would be inexpensive to manufacture and eflicient in operation.

Other objects will appear as the description proceeds. f

In the accompanying drawings which constitute a part of my application,

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic representa tion of the salvaging apparatus in use;

Figure 2 is a detail front elevation of the compartment in which the inflatable bag is positioned, and

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the plane of line 33 of Figure 2.

Like characters of reference are used throughout the several views and the following specification to designate corresponding parts. i

The vessel 1 is provided with compartments 2, between-each stateroom 3, for the reception of the inflatable bags 4. These bags are preferably formed of a double thickness of heavy canvas or like material,

with an intermediate lining of rubber or waterproof material. Each bag l is provided with a double valve or pair of valves 5 and 6, for inflating and deflating the bag.

The spaced compartments 2, are provided with a relatively thicker wall or partition 7, which serves as the wall between each stateroom 3, and a divided wall or partition 8, which is spaced from the partition 7, the division being in the middle of the partition and longitudinally thereof. The portions of partition 8, are hinged at their edges where they join on to the floor and ceiling, by means of the hinges 9 and 10, respectively.

A suitable lock or latch 11 is provided for holding the parts of the partition 8 in closed position.

It will be understood that in each compartment between the staterooms, there will be positioned a bag, of such size, that when it is inflated, it will entirely fill the room,

and each bag will have a stem 12 extending through the outer wall 13 of the stateroom,

at the outer end of which is located the galves 5 and 6, for inflating or deflating the The purpose of this invention is to enable a ship equipped with air bags of this construction, to be raised with little expense or difliculty, should the said ship ever sink.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: Presuming that a ship equipped with this apparatus has been sunk, and a salvaging ship 14 sent to raise it. A diver will carry the air line 15, which is connected at its upper end to the air compressor 16, and will connect it to the inlet valve 5 of each bag .1-, after which he will enter the state room or other part of a ship where the bags are located and unfasten the latch 11 on the partition 8, so that when the air, is forced into the bag, it will fill out until it forces all of the water from the room, and in place thereof, will be the inflated'bag, which will not only displace the many square feet of heavy water, but will provide a great amount of buoyancy, which will bring the ship to the surface of the water, when the required number of bags are filled with air.

The valves 6 are provided to let out or discharge some of the air in the bags, should the pressure be too great upon the raising of the ship to the surface of the water.

It will be understood that as many bags may be employed as necessary, and that these bags will approximately conform to the shape of the stateroom, so that the water therein will be entirely forced out, and the space filled with the buoyant air or gas filled bag.

Many minor changes in detail of construction may be resorted to without departure from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

In combination with a Vertical partition or wall of a ships state-room, of an inflatable bag held collapsed against said Wall by a two part partition hinged at its top and bottom, means for locking the parts together, and means connected with the bag extending through the exterior wall of said state-room, whereby air may be forced into said bag to force the water from the stateroom to raise the ship, should it be sunk.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

STEPHEN A. DUTTON. 

